Just South of Knowing
by Abasketcase
Summary: For My Valentine" Contest Entry. Edward, lead singer and guitarist of The Two Songs, meets Bella, a crazy, eccentric, and mysterious girl. They end up spending the day together doing anything and everything. Sparks fly. Rated M for safety. AH BxE


**"For My Valentine"**

**A Twilight Love Story Contest**

**Title: Just South of Knowing  
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**Rating: M  
**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella  
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**Vampire or Human: Human  
**

**For more information please see contest details on manyafandom or isabel0329's profiles. **

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EPOV

I took a deep breath of air as I stepped out of my apartment. Ah. It was January, and the winds had passed last week, leaving Los Angeles to the best weather, and rarest might I add, rain. Or mist, or just fog. Moisture. Something so rare, automatically making it my favorite type of weather.

It had rained last night, and now the streets and sidewalks were darkened with it. The air didn't smell of smoke. It smelt of the lovely nitrates in the air, rain caused. Nitrates mixed with the ever present smog that rested over the city.

The band had a gig last night and I was currently on my way to the bank, a few short blocks from my apartment, to deposit our check.

We were gaining popularity, slowly, with the underground indie-rock fans. We had a few demos but nothing serious. Just recently we began getting paid for our appearances, meager amounts but they were certainly a start for any band hoping to make a living off of their music.

I admit that this isn't the most traditional way to support myself and make my parents proud but it makes me happy. Writing songs, playing guitar, singing in front of a crowd, it all makes me feel alive.

I certainly wouldn't trade my current position in life for anything different.

A few strides into my walk I noticed something peculiar occurring ahead of me. A girl – not twenty feet ahead of me – was walking backwards, slowly at first, before backing up even quicker. She held something in front of her face for a moment before holding it to her chest and quickly padding backwards again.

Seeing the way the light changed, I craned my neck up towards the sky and cursed the sun momentarily. I wanted it to rain! I was so sick of this perfect, 78 degree weather, not a cloud in sight.

I nearly growled but stifled it and turned my attention forward again. The girl was even closer now, and the sun reflected off of her hair in the most magnificent of ways, changing the color to an array of browns and reds and subtle blondes.

She paused, placing the object – which I now identified as a camera – in front of her face. I didn't stop, rather kept walking. I was on my way to the bank after all. I did need to deposit the money in order to gain function of my credit card again.

She adjusted the lens before sighing and backing up even more. Before I knew what was happening, she collided with me, her backside pressing up harshly against my front.

With an 'oof' she recoiled from me quickly.

"So sorry!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

And at that moment it was as if Etta James was singing in the background. I was face to face with what I had impulsively concluded was the most beautiful looking creature in the world.

Her skin looked so smooth and flawless. Her eyes were sparkling in the sun. Her pink lips were in shaped in an unequal 'O'.

I shook my head as her apologies continued. "None to worry miss."

She shook her head, making her hair shudder. "I wasn't paying close enough attention as to where I was going. I'm sorry."

I smiled at her. "What is it that you were doing?"

I was curious, after all. The day was young, and the bank could wait.

Her face fell slightly before her lips twitched. "I was taking a picture. You see that seagull over there?" She gestured to a building in the distance where there were multiple seagulls, all white except for one that was a gray-blue.

When I nodded she continued. "Well, I wanted a picture of it where it was the focal point, but not the obvious one. You see, if I just got at the right distance from it, the sun would hit it at a certain point, making it brighter than the background, subtly of course." She bit her lip enticingly when she was finished.

I nodded dumbly after a moment, finding myself utterly captivated with her.

Her eye brows pulled together.

"I'm Bella, by the way," She sounded uncertain as she held her hand out for mine.

_Contact! Yes!_

I grabbed her hand and we shared a mutual shake.

"Edward, Edward Cullen," I told her, a tad more enthusiastic than necessary.

Her hand felt smooth in mine. Then, she breathed a soft laugh before letting go of my hand and walking away.

I could feel my face pull together in confusion. That's it? No. No I couldn't possibly let that happen.

This _Bella_ was extremely pretty and her hand felt nice in mine. I couldn't end our encounter at _that_.

I sat there like an idiot for a few seconds before quickening my pace to catch up with her. She was at the crosswalk when I caught up with her.

She pushed the button a thousand times before she noticed I was beside her. She jumped slightly before smiling and then giggling.

Bella looked so damn pretty. And she seemed so interesting. Living in California I had grown used to eclectic fashion, nothing surprised me anymore. But Bella looked so unique to me. She was wearing a black tee shirt with a scene from _Alice in Wonderland_ viewable from a key whole. Her jeans looked worn but fitting. There was an extravagant drawing of a compass rose on her thigh; it looked hand drawn in green pen. She was wearing green high tops with… cookie monster shoelaces.

I smiled at her as she continued giggling. Had I been openly ogling her?

The walking sign flashed and she walked across the street, still giggling. I followed her, even though the bank was to my right. The wind blew slightly, nicely, as I attempted conversation.

"Are you a photographer?" I asked, generally curious about anything pertaining to this girl.

She had talked about photography with knowledge, after all. I mean, seriously, a seagull being a _subtle_ focus point? That, combined with the compass rose on her thigh led me to believe she was an artist.

I looked in her direction to find her smiling knowingly at me, before she turned with a shrug.

"I'm an amateur. I took some classes but mostly, I just do it for fun." She gazed up at me through the corner of her eyes as we made our way to the sidewalk again.

God, that was sexy. She smirked at me before continuing at a quicker pace.

Oh, no. Was she trying to get rid of me?

I stopped walking, watching her form swiftly make its way down the sidewalk. And then her steps faltered and she stopped. She turned around and gazed up at me from under her eyelashes.

"Aw, don't look so sad." she said.

I got the reflex to frown at her words, before I noticed that I already was.

She laughed softly before approaching me, maintaining eye contact the whole way.

Who _was this girl_? I was… what, speechless? I couldn't move… couldn't do anything but look into her eyes and silently pray that she was interested in me.

She tilted her head to the side. "Are you doing anything important today?" she inquired.

I shook my head immediately. "No,"

Her lips curled up then as she smiled. "Well, then in that case," She paused and looked down before composing and looking back up to me. "Would you like to hang out with me?"

I would follow you to the ends of the Earth…

I internally slapped my forehead at the ridiculous thoughts. I was _not_ a sap.

So, I gave her a smile of my own instead, a casual one.

"Sure," I answered.

She rolled her eyes. "Well then, _follow me._" she commanded before continuing her regular path.

I smiled at her assertiveness and gladly caught up this time. We fell into the same step. I had no clue where we were going, but her walk seemed to be determined so maybe she did. It was amazing how quickly I grew captivated with her. Suddenly, every thought I had revolved around her.

She was eclectic, eccentric… possibly mysterious. She was carefree and bubbly, but not overly of the two. She didn't turn into a gibbering pile of mush when I smiled at her. She was just… so different. I couldn't quite summarize, in my head, what made her so extraordinary, what drew me into her, but I could feel it.

And Christ, it felt good.

There was just enough sun, but not too much. And there were heavy clouds in the distance, signaling future showers. I was in a good mood too. Here I was, walking with a complete stranger, an _intriguing_ stranger, who kept me on edge and wondering. I could tell my infatuation would soon turn into something else if I spent too much time with her.

Tired of the silence, and eager to know more about her, I spoke.

"So… that's your camera?" I asked peering down at the black contraption hanging around her neck.

She paused and picked it up, examining it as if it was the first time she saw it. "Yep, my good ol' Canon." she said.

She pointed it up at me before making a firing sound and snapping a picture. I slumped a little but then smiled.

She giggled mischievously and continued walking without looking at the picture.

"So, Edward, Edward Cullen, what _is it_ you do?" she inquired in a voice that mimicked William Shatner's.

I smirked. "Well, I'm in a band. But to make ends meet I work a few odd ends of jobs."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "You're in a band?"

She didn't sound excited at that fact. I didn't know whether to be happy or not. Mostly, when I told people I was in a band, girls in particular, they couldn't contain their enthusiasm and open adoration. As if being a guitarist automatically made me a god. Which was an utterly ridiculous thought. Musicians weren't all sunshine and rainbows.

I looked at Bella. She was biting her lip, with an expression of uncertainty on her face.

"Uh, yeah. We call ourselves The Two Songs." I admitted shyly.

Her face lit up, all uncertainty from before washed away. "Really? That's an interesting name."

We approached another cross walk and she began hitting the button rapidly.

"Are you guys' professional? Or is it more of a part time hobby?"

I ran my hand through my hair as I looked across the street. "Ah, we're trying to be professional." I confessed. "It's difficult to get noticed by the producers but we figure if we just play our music as often as we can it's bound to happen for us sometime."

She nodded as we began walking across the street. "Are you guys any good?"

It was a silly question to ask. Of course I would think we were good. Was she testing me somehow? If she were, what would the correct answer be?

"We've got a few good things going for us. But the quality of our music and performances would be for you to decide." I responded.

She smiled brightly at me before continuing our walk.

It seemed that every bit of conversation we had so far somehow turned to revolve solely around me. I didn't want that. I wanted to get to know her more, too.

I was about to speak up when she beat me to it.

"Would you like to get some lunch?" she asked, quickening her pace.

I paused for a moment. Lunch would be good, it meant more time with her. It also meant a break from the death pace she was walking at that grew exponentially.

"Lunch would be great. Where to?" I inquired.

Suddenly, she came to a stop.

"Jamba Juice!" she sang happily.

Was this where she was headed the whole time?

I laughed. "For lunch?"

But she was already headed inside. There were about three people ahead of us. Which sucked because their smoothies took forever to make.

She smiled up at me.

It was the same smile she had used since I met her. It was sweet, but knowing, and not completely innocent. It said she was happy, but not stupid, and certainly not 100 percent charmed by me. It was this smile that had me captivated.

"What are you getting?"

**…**

I was foolish for thinking that lunch would be a break from Bella's death march. If anything, after we got our smoothies, her walk was faster. She seemed determined to get somewhere, taking the necessary turns and subtly checking the street signs. I just followed her… and basically told the story of my life.

I really didn't even know how it happened. But suddenly, she had me confessing everything about myself. How I was adopted at the age of 4, how I ended up loosing my virginity when I was 17 to a girl who needed braces desperately. How my band came about, how I dropped out of college…

I told her nearly fucking everything. And I still knew nothing consequential about her.

She seemed genuinely engaged in my stories, gasping, laughing, saying, 'No way!' at certain points.

I drew some information out of her mannerisms and body language. And they told me something about her as a person, but not enough. I didn't know where she was born, where she went to school, if she was still going to school. I didn't know if she was a morning person or not. I didn't know if she had a job.

I just knew that she was pretty, and funny, and witty and knowing, and certainly not a sap. This was all nice and well but she didn't tell me those things, I figured them out on my own. When I asked her something serious, she deflected it easily, shrugging it off, spotting a bird, tripping on something, taking a picture of my face.

It became obvious she didn't want me to know.

But why?

She seemed like a really sweet girl. What could she possibly have to hide from me? I was just a guy, a guy in a band that was once on his way to the bank, but was suddenly thrown into the world… and mystery of Bella.

It got me frustrated. But I never stayed that way for long. No. Bella would do something to catch my eye or perk my ears up. It was so hard to stay anything but happy around Bella. Her laughter was infectious, as was her smile.

"Is yours any good?" she inquired, gesturing to my cup.

I pulled my mouth away from the straw. "It is, actually. I get it every time I go there though."

"So do I. I always get Strawberries Wild. Can I try yours quick?" she turned to me.

I wasn't big on sharing beverages, but that thought didn't even cross my mind as I tore my mouth away from my straw and handed it to Bella.

I was going to hand her the entire cup. But her mouth was open, waiting for me to place the straw inside. My eyes widened. My mind started pouring in suggestive thoughts.

Bella looked so innocent though, patient and waiting. I smiled at her before placing the straw inside her mouth. Her lips closed around it and we somehow kept walking… all the while maintaining eye contact.

My eyes dipped to her lips. They looked so soft and pink, a darker pink after her smoothie. She groaned slightly, the suggestive thoughts flooded in. But I could tell it was only because she liked the drink. She put her hand around the cup and took it away from me.

"This is so good." she said before placing the straw back in her mouth.

She placed her smoothie blindly in my hand, then groaned again, obviously trying to get me to try it.

Bracing myself, I took a sip. The straw was mildly sticky at the top, courtesy of Bella's Chap Stick. The smoothie did taste good though.

"It's good." I told her in approval.

She nodded enthusiastically while finishing up my smoothie.

I was proud of myself for not getting a full on boner throughout the situation. I mean, yeah, my pants were a little tighter after that whole shenanigan but it wasn't as bad as I thought. And I could easily think of some disturbing images to take care of my barely there problem.

Bella came to an abrupt stop.

"We're here!" she said before walking up to the trash can and throwing away my spent cup.

'Here' was the movie theater. Another Mann Theater, these damn things spotted the entire Southern California Coast.

"The movies?" I asked while mimicking her actions and throwing away the empty cup.

She was at the window for show times.

"Ooh, I bet we can make it to this one." she said, pointing at some title that I barely recognized from the commercials.

"Hey, isn't that a horror film or something?" I questioned. But it was too late, and the boldness that I admired about Bella was back. She grabbed my hand and was pulling us up to the ticket counter.

I had only carried a twenty on me. The check was for the bank. After Jamba Juice, I had enough for our tickets, but not for snacks. So Bella didn't get a chance to protest when I told her that I'd pay for the tickets and she'd pay for the snacks.

Bella didn't like for people to spend money on her. It told me she was independent. Her protests also told me that she could be feisty when she wanted to be. Very nice.

As we walked into the lobby the sound of popcorn popping and random movie trailers filled my ears. No longer were we on the loud streets of L.A.

It was then that the absurdity of the whole situation hit me. Here I was, with this stranger that I was quickly falling for, in a movie theater, at like, 2 in the afternoon, going to a horror film.

I couldn't be happier.

The bank would be there tomorrow.

But Bella posed a mystery to me.

For now though, we were at the movies, and the image of Bella cowering into me during disturbing parts of the movie flashed through my mind, strengthening my outlook. This should be fun.

At the snack counter, something else became obvious about Bella. She liked sour junk food. She purchased two packs of Sour Punch Straws and one package of Sour Patch Kids. Since Bella was paying, I just bought a small bag of gummy worms, which were still over 3 dollars. Ridiculous.

Bella laughed her head off at me. I just laughed with her before pointing out that she was eating sour children.

She took more pictures of me then, one hand holding the snacks, the other pushing the capture button. I kept a vacant expression on my face after I realized that protesting really didn't' help much. If anything, it just made my pictures turn out worse.

Honestly though, I wanted a picture with her. So when she talking animatedly about a movie poster I snatched the camera out of her hands.

"Hey!" she protested in a high voice.

I took a careless picture of her before pulling her to my side and taking one of us together.

I don't know what really possessed me to just grab her waist and pull her to me. I just did it. Even though it was the most contact we had all day.

It should've been obvious that I was attracted to her, even before I took the picture.

I fucking walked probably ten miles… all so that I could have more time with her. Bella, the girl who had captivated me from the second she ran into me, to now.

I pushed the play button to see the picture. I nearly stumbled back from the sight of it. Bella had her tongue sticking out, and in all its long glory, it was pointed straight at me. She was looking straight into the camera.

Okay, that barely there problem from earlier, it grew ten fold at the sight of her pink tongue. How had I not _seen_ that? I looked like a fucking oblivious schmuck in the picture, smiling.

"Bella, what the hell?" It was all I could think of.

She giggled, already ahead of me in the all. "Come on, Edward. We're going to be late for the movie."

I followed her into the theater. It was dark, and the previews were already on. She sat a reasonable distance away from the screen, and in the middle of the row. I sat beside her and gave the camera back.

She fumbled with the power button a moment before placing it around her neck and proceeding to rip open her Sour Straws.

The movie started. Intense music played, _lots_ of people died right from the get go. And I found that _I_ was the one cowering into Bella. Not full on hiding in her shirt, but definitely cringing away from the screen and leaning reflexively on the only shoulder I could find. Bella's.

Then the violence stopped for a while. A good plot seemed to be in formation. Boy, did they blow all that to hell. If we thought the beginning was disturbing, it did not even count towards the second half.

I began wondering, as an escape from the terrible things happening on the screen, who the hell thinks this shit up?

Christ, it was fucking awful. I felt bad for Bella too. Whenever I looked at her, she seemed like she was going to cry. I knew she felt the same way I did about it, if not worse.

Then, some really disturbing shit happened and Bella and I both reflexively curled into each other, away from the screen.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God." she kept on chanting quietly as she buried her face further into my shoulder.

We didn't dare look up to the screen when squelching could be heard, combined with glass shattering screams.

Once that part was over, we pulled away from each other, slightly. We still were cowering like fools but at least we could look at the screen now.

Bella felt really warm. And she smelled so damn good. Her soft hand on mine was comforting, even if she squeezed the hell out of it sometimes.

The movie ended, the credits rolled, and the lights turned on. I watched Bella. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light before stretching and scratching her head. She picked up her trash, and I followed. She really did finish all her food within the first twenty minutes.

"This movie sucks!" someone screamed on the way out.

We didn't say anything as we walked out of the theater and back into the crowded, loud streets.

Bella took a deep breath. "That wasn't very good." she admitted, sounding ill.

I shook my head pitifully. "No it wasn't."

We began walking then. Bella didn't seem to have much determination in her step. The movie seemed to drain the life out of both of us. I knew I couldn't get the disturbing images out of my head. I wondered if Bella was having a hard time herself.

The setting sun was making me desperate though. I had a show tonight, and God only knows what Bella had to do.

I had had such fun with her today. She made me so happy.

I didn't want our time to run out.

But run out, it does. So I had to make the best of our last hours together.

I still wanted to find out more about her.

"What do you do for a living, Bella?" I questioned after we walked in silence for a few minutes.

She smiled lazily and shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

My eyebrows pulled together. Did she do something bad? What exactly was my definition of bad?

I decided that I really wouldn't care about what she did. Her personality and character would make up for anything capable of tainting her image, right?

I kept telling myself that.

But maybe it didn't matter, like she said. Maybe I was just overreacting.

"I'm just curious…" I admitted.

She smiled that same smile up at me. "Aren't we all?"

We rounded the corner and a reasonably sized park came into view. It was shaded by large trees and had pathways winding through it. There was a guitarist playing softly on the side for money. Some people were watching him, others were dancing. There were people walking their dogs, some taking their kids for a stroll.

I had been to this park before, but never really looked at it.

We wordlessly began walking through it. Suddenly, Bella became snap happy. Taking pictures of everything in sight, benches, trees, leaves, birds, people, and unfortunately, me.

She seemed quite fond of taking pictures of me. Though, she claimed it was for comic purposes only.

Then she started taking pictures _with_ me. I watched this time, wary of that tongue. But it never came out. She just smiled nicely at the camera. Of course though, when I let my guard down and began smiling with her, the tongue made its appearance again.

We walked further into the park. The performer could only be heard softly in the background now. Bella walked ahead of me, taking pictures at a less rapid rate, spending more time getting the focus right.

It was dark out now, and Bella had to use her flash. I hoped she wouldn't turn on me again, the damn thing was blinding from this distance.

She didn't. Instead, she took pictures of neon signs in the distance and the gum on the sidewalk.

Bella stayed in her place for a while. I took the opportunity to sit on a bench. My feet were, after all, killing me. I watched her. Her skin was still luminescent, even under the harsh street lighting. She concentrated on her work greatly though. It seemed she had forgotten I was there.

I sighed and craned my neck upwards. The stars weren't visible, of course, but it was something to look at, something to reflect on.

Our time today was drawing to an end. It made me feel, drained, nearly empty. I hated that.

My feelings for Bella grew exponentially as the time for us lessened. I felt an attachment to her. I felt like I wouldn't be able to go for a walk again without missing her. And if that was true, then I might as well stay away from Jamba Juice and scary movies for the rest of my life… if I couldn't go with her.

I just hoped that she felt even a fraction of what I was beginning to feel for her. Because if she did, I just might have a chance of seeing her again… possibly never having to completely let her go.

But those were silly, wistful thoughts that shouldn't worry me now. I still had a few moments with her, perhaps more if I could convince her.

And then my show suddenly occurred to me.

Bella turned around at that same moment, peering up at me from under her eyelashes. I smiled and patted the bench seat beside me.

She sighed as she sat down.

"I have a show tonight." I confessed quietly.

Her eyes flashed with something, anxiety maybe? I couldn't be sure. It went away just as quickly as it came.

A nonchalant smile formed across her face. "Really? Can I go?" she asked expectantly.

She turned to me and rested her head on the back of the bench, where my arm was.

I smiled. "Of course,"

Truth be told, I was suddenly nervous at the prospect of her seeing me perform. I wanted to impress her, but I was terribly afraid of what she would think of my music.

But alas, I couldn't live my life in fear of what other people would think. If I expected Bella to be in my life, she'd have to hear my music at some point.

We sat there, not saying anything, for an infinite amount of time. The sun was officially gone, but not my hope. Bella was going to see me perform tonight.

I suddenly felt very lucky.

What a day, today had been.

**…**

The guys and I were just finishing up making our set list for the night. We were in a small room that reeked of beer and pizza but we were all used to it.

I had _hated_ parting ways with Bella. And we were still in the same God damn building. My feelings were getting down right ridiculous. But I couldn't control them. Bella, this amazing girl that I still barely knew, brought something out in me, some emotions and instincts long dormant.

We were called in to go on stage. I took a deep breath, before walking out from behind the curtains. I had done this a gazillion times before.

It was open mic night, and we weren't getting paid. But, rumor has it that a producer from Swan records was going to be here tonight.

The guys had gotten in a fight over which songs to play. So instead of just resolving the issue on their own, they called me in, disrupting my last moments with Bella.

She actually laughed when I said, 'Duty calls,'.

I resolved the issue quickly, opting to do a majority of our songs tonight instead of covers, mixing it up a little.

Once on stage my eyes immediately scanned the crowd for Bella. She wasn't at a table, or at the bar. I searched the small pit of people in front of me and there she was… as close to the stage as she could get, right in front of me, smiling that same knowing smile.

I winked at her before Jasper hit the drums and we started our first song.

As I sang the first few lines I kept my eyes on Bella. She was biting her lip and staring up at me sweetly. I noticed though, that her appearance had changed some. She wasn't wearing the _Alice in Wonderland_ shirt anymore. Instead, it was a gray knit sweater.

So she did leave.

I broke eye contact and looked around the crowd, trying to find people who looked like producers. I had a good eye for them. But I couldn't find any.

As I looked back to Bella, she had her eyes closed and was swaying slightly, a small smile on her sinful lips.

Okay, time to look away. A boner at the moment would be extremely mortifying.

I contemplated how much time I had spent backstage settling our set issues. A half hour, maybe more?

That should be enough time for Bella leave and change, if she lived near and took a cab. I continued singing.

About half way through the fourth song, I grew anxious. Bella was still there, smiling and swaying and looking beautiful.

I was just anxious to be with her. Here I was, not two feet from her and yet, it still wasn't close enough.

She closed her eyes and swayed even more, turning her head to the side.

I wanted to be inside of her.

_Ack! Think other thoughts!_

I actually did manage to finish the concert boner free. It was quite nice. The room got really into it, a lot of them liked our Kooks cover. They were pretty popular in Orange County for some reason.

Bella whistled and cheered once we finished and gave me a thumbs up.

I laughed into the microphone and said 'Thank you'.

"Fricken' A! Jasper, what the hell was with that stunt you pulled at the end?" Emmett yelled once we were back in the pizza and beer room.

"Hey, guys, I'm going to head out now. Call you tomorrow?" I spoke up.

They both stopped their bickering for a moment. "Any sign of Swan people?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. "Not tonight, guys. Sorry."

They both scowled before turning to the task at hand, ripping each other's heads off. Jasper did go a little nuts with his drum solo out there at the end, effectively ripping Emmett off.

Did I care? Fuck, no.

I had Bella on the brain.

I walked out back, remembering where she said that she'd meet me. I tried not to look over eager.

She was standing nonchalantly by the door, a wry smile on her face. There were no street lights illuminating her face now, just the moon. Her skin was cast in a blue-gray glow. I said nothing as I closed the distance between us.

She giggled softly before standing up on her tip-toes. Her lips were dangerously close to mine.

"You did great tonight," she whispered, her breath fanning across my face.

She looked at me for a moment, her eye color indecipherable in the darkness of the ally. She closed her eyes and sighed before pressing her lips gently to mine.

She kissed me softly, barely applying pressure.

I was sick of the teasing immediately. I had needed this moment subconsciously since I first laid eyes on her.

I palmed both of her cheeks and pulled her closer to me. She laughed in my mouth. I wrapped an arm around her waist then, pulling her body flush against mine.

She felt so warm, and her lips tasted so good.

I wanted to be with her… forever.

Crazy.

But it was how I felt.

Thoughts of a life without her, a fucking day without her crossed my mind.

And I saw myself bored.

But the thought of spending more time with Bella made me desperate.

I licked her bottom lip shyly and she parted her lips immediately granting me access.

I breathed heavily on her face as the kiss deepened, and her tongue tangled with mine. She pulled away after a moment, as breathless as me. I kept my lips connected with her skin, her soft, smooth skin that tasted so good.

Bella was breathing rapidly now as I trailed my lips down her neck, as far as I could go.

Her arms were around my neck and she stroked the little hairs softly.

I wanted to take her home with me.

Those were dangerous thoughts, yes. And I did care about that fact.

But I wasn't going to treat Bella like any other girl.

I was going to give her my all.

I just didn't want to leave her, to let her go.

She felt so nice in my arms, so warm.

"Do you have some place you need to be?" I questioned hoarsely.

Her breath was mingling with mine as I met her lips again before she could answer. The air was buzzing with new found electricity, mixing with the nitrates.

I pulled away, and scared myself by whimpering at the loss of lip to skin contact.

She smiled lazily up at me while stroking my hair. "Does it really matter?"

My question implied the unasked one of 'Would you go home with me?'

I looked into her eyes seriously for a moment, judging her reaction.

She stopped smiling and stared at me intensely for a moment, stroking my face now softly. Her eyes followed her hands path.

I didn't want to ruin what we already had. Taking this step should not be taken lightly.

But who said we had to take it?

Maybe, I could just get away with taking her home with me. We wouldn't have to do anything.

But then again, her body was pressed tightly against mine, and I could feel her heat on every inch of my body. If I licked my lips I would be able to taste her. If I smelt my clothes she'd be all over them.

She made up my mind for me by pressing her lips to mine again with a renewed passion.

We hailed a cab and groped each other madly the whole way back. Bella's eyes were heavy and lust ridden. I'm sure that mine mirrored hers.

I walked backwards up the steps as she pushed me gently and kissed me all the way up.

Okay, so it was obvious we both wanted each other. And I was so far gone in the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin.

I dug around in my pocket for my key. Bella wouldn't let me turn around, she just kept kissing me and breathing on me and I was dizzy with the amount of heat coming off of her.

It was resonating from everywhere, from her neck, from her hands, from her core which was currently grinding into me.

How the hell was I supposed to resist _that_?

I groaned in frustration and pulled away. It took me longer than usual to unlock my door. But once it did I swung the door open and closed it just as soon as we made it through.

I lifted Bella up off of her feet for a few seconds, desperate to feel her all over me. I wanted to get lost.

But something was different in the kiss this time. It wasn't as fast and passionate.

Was it… one sided?

No, Bella's lips were molded against mine.

But she wasn't parting them, or licking my lips, or grinding into me. I opened my eyes to find hers closed.

I put her down and kissed her neck; she turned away slightly, lazily, in order for me to do my work.

She stroked my neck again, softly. And the act sent shivers down my spine along with renewed lust. Everything about her felt so good.

I kissed her cheek sloppily before going back to her lips, which were red and swollen from our earlier acts. She kissed me, but with even less energy.

I slowed my kisses to just a few chaste pecks before stopping completely and looking into her eyes, hesitantly.

Her eyes were heavy, and she smiled softly when she met mine.

She was… sleepy.

I laughed at myself for a few moments, resting my head on Bella's shoulder.

She continued stroking my neck soothingly.

"Would you like to go to bed?" I whispered before placing a soft closed mouth kiss on her neck.

She yawned silently and nodded.

I nodded along with her before letting go and heading towards the closet. I found a few extra blankets. It was probably for the best anyway.

I heard a small sound of protest coming from Bella. I turned around, alarmed.

She walked up to me, dragging her feet the whole way before wrapping her arms around my neck. I dropped the blankets on the couch.

"I want to sleep with _you_ in _your_ bed." she whispered softly.

She pressed her head to my chest and breathed in deeply.

And I wasn't confused.

Because I knew what she meant.

I understood completely.

It was then I realized that Bella _did_ feel at least a fraction of what I felt for her.

And that thought made me uncontrollably happy.

I grinned to myself before easily picking Bella up bridal style and carrying her to my room. I placed her on my bed, and her eyes were closed in exhaustion. She was breathing through her mouth, barely conscious.

It had been a long day.

A long, wonderful, perfect day.

I took her shoes off, carefully untying the cookie monster shoelaces that had started it all.

Once her shoes were off I climbed up her body and pulled down the covers. I lifted Bella up some and became dizzy in her heat again, this time from her backside. But I quickly recovered when she curled under the sheets and was gone from my sight.

I was a lucky man today.

I got up to brush my teeth.

So fucking what if I wasn't going to get laid tonight.

I would trade getting laid by any chick just to have Bella sleep innocently in my bed every night.

And _that_ was saying a lot.

Once I was finished I tore off my tee shirt and pants. Hopefully Bella wouldn't mind…

She was curled up in a little ball. I took small risk and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to my chest.

She smiled softly then, keeping her eyes closed. "You said you wanted to know more about me."

Indeed I had, at one point during the day. When I was getting downright desperate and frustrated with her brushing off every question I asked. I remember her laughing at me, in turn I immediately felt like an idiot.

I nodded, hesitantly asking her to continue.

She sighed. "My father and I don't get along." she confessed.

I waited for her to go on. When she didn't, I inquired further.

She shrugged in response, and I was afraid that she might be shutting me out again. But she surprised me. "Probably because I work for him."

I nodded softly. So she _did_ have a job!

Okay, I didn't know what that job was, _but_ this was a good start for her. Since it was obvious she didn't like sharing information.

Her eyes were shut now, her breathing deepening.

"Goodnight, Edward, Edward Cullen." she mocked.

I smiled and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Bella -"

It was then I realize that I didn't even know her last name.

And yet here she was.

In my bed and warm and breathing.

But not naked.

I breathed in the scent of her hair, and I stroked her sleeping face reverently before sliding further under the covers and falling asleep myself.

Ending the very best day of my life.

**…**

I groaned as sleep left me and the morning light began assaulting my eyes. I had slept well of course, and was currently very warm.

Bella had her arm draped over my waist, and I her.

She was breathing softly through her mouth. Her hair was a static mess. I pushed some of it out of her face.

I slid further under the covers so my face was level with her's. Christ, even in the morning her breath was sweet.

I was so happy to have her with me. And I didn't even ruin anything by grinding against her during the night. We had slept 100 percent innocently.

I stroked her cheeks tenderly. They were just as soft as I remembered.

She opened her eyes then before groaning, like me, and rubbing them violently.

"Morning," she croaked.

Maybe this was when I'd find out if she were a morning person or not.

"Morning," I said.

She turned her face back to mine and smiled that God damn knowing smile again.

Then her face changed and she seemed to notice my half nakedness. Her hands tentatively made their home on my chest, where she traced my skin softly with mindless doodles. My eyes rolled back a little in my head before I snapped out of it.

She watched her hands in fascination for a moment. I gazed down at her, feeling really lucky to have found the most amazing girl one day, and have her in my bed the next. Even if it wasn't the same way implied.

It was better.

And as much as I wanted to stay in bed with Bella forever and ever and just be encased in her warmth, I needed to shower and go to work, but more importantly, I needed to brush my teeth.

Not all of us could have magically sweet breath in the morning.

I took her hands in mine and she looked in my eyes as she stopped. "I need to take a shower." I mumbled.

She nodded quickly in understanding, keeping her eyes innocent.

I got up.

"I'll be back,"

It wasn't till after I shut the door that my last comment made me laugh. Apparently it made Bella laugh too, her giggles could be heard over the running water.

I made a plan in my head while I showered. I would give Bella my number first and foremost, and then I'd make sure she got home okay before I headed off to work. And if I played my cards right, I'd be able to see her again.

The time I spent with her had been without a doubt the best I had ever spent with anyone. From the very beginning, something just clicked between us.

And even though she was playful and apprehensive at the same time, I could tell she felt for me. All I needed was some more time with her…

That was quickly becoming all that I'd ever need.

I dressed quickly and stepped into my bedroom.

But Bella wasn't there. She wasn't any where to be seen. I called her name, peered out the hallway, but it was no use.

Her shoes were gone.

My chest tightened.

We hadn't slept together. Why was she treating this like a one night stand?

Did she have some place to be?

My breathing picked up. She didn't seem to leave anything. No trace of her whatsoever.

But then I saw a little white card sitting on her pillow. I quickly climbed on my bed to investigate.

It was a business card.

For Swan Records.

Charlie Swan: Chief Producer.

I kneeled in place and examined the card carefully. I flipped it over and there was a note written in small, boy-like handwriting.

_Congratulations, Baby!_

_I totally just got you and your band a session with my dad. Don't blow it! Call this number and his secretary will tell you the details._

_Bella_

_P.S._

_I suppose I'll see you around._

So many things were running in my head then. Opportunity was the first. But then images and memories of Bella filled my head.

A large smile broke out onto my face. So she was the chick from Swan records…

And then my smile grew at the prospect of seeing her again.

* * *

**A/N:** Bella was apprehensive about Edward being in a band because of her position. She has been used by people and bands before because she has the power to get them discovered.

I really hope I didn't go to overboard with this story. But most of all, I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, I hope to get your vote! Thanks for reading!

Please review! :)


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